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Chair of Governors:

Mr T. James

Ethos & Values

We want Ysgol Aberconwy to be a happy, caring, ordered and respectful community in which people are treated with fairness and are supported in developing themselves to the fullest possible extent to enable them to take their place in society. In short we aim to INSPIRE our students through an innovative approach to learning and SUPPORT them through our dedicated pastoral systems so that they can SUCCEED throughout their time in school and beyond. Parents of prospective pupils are welcome to visit Ysgol Aberconwy at any time during the school day. Contact Reception at school on +44 (0)1492 593243 in order to make an appointment to visit Ysgol Aberconwy

The School Day

A total of 25 hours weekly is spent teaching during Years 7 - 11. These hours include the time spent on religious education, but exclude the statutory daily act of collective worship, registration and breaks. The timetable is arranged as follows:

Normal Timetable

Extended Registration

08:45

Tutor Period

08:45

Tutor Period/PSHE

09:05

Lesson 1

09:35

Lesson 1

10:05

Lesson 2

10:25

Lesson 2

11:05

Break

11:15

Break

11:20

Lesson 3

11:30

Lesson 3

12:20

Lunch

12:20

Lunch

13:10

Lesson 4

13:10

Lesson 4

14:10

Lesson 5

14:10

Lesson 5

15:10

End of school day

15:10

End of school day

Facilities: Many of the school’s facilities are available to pupils during the lunchtime period and after school.

Lunch Time Arrangements

Pupils may buy a school lunch or bring their own packed lunch. The lunches provided in the school dining room are of a high standard and are offered as part of an extensive menu. A cashless fingerprint recognition system is in operation. Pupils who stay at school for lunch or who bring sandwiches remain under the care and supervision of the school. In order that we can fulfil this responsibility we expect all pupils to remain on the school premises during the midmorning break and lunchtimes.

Closure or partial closure of the school due to adverse weather.

When a decision is taken to close the school we will make the information available as soon as possible in the following ways. Unless communication is received through these means, then please assume that the school remains open :

School website (www.aberconwy.conwy.sch.uk)

Text and email message to primary contact numbers (please therefore keep us informed of any changes to mobile phone numbers or email addresses)

Conwy County Council website (www.conwy.gov.uk/schoolclosures)

Local Radio (Capital FM/Heart Radio/Radio Cymru/Radio Wales)

The decision to close the school is never taken lightly and rests with Mr Gerrard and the Governors. Throughout the decision making process, our primary concern is always the safety of all our students and staff.

Pupil Development Grant (PDG) Access

The Welsh Government have recently announced the PDG Access Fund. Through this funding pupils eligible for free school meals will be able to access a grant of £125 for the purchase of the following:

Pupil Deprivation Grant

Ysgol Aberconwy’s Pupil Deprivation Grant Statement

The purpose of the Pupil Deprivation Grant is to improve the educational attainment of pupils from low income families and who are entitled to free school meals (eFSM). Schools are expected to maximise the use of this funding by introducing sustainable strategies which will quickly lead to improved outcomes for pupils entitled to free school meals.

As a school, we want to learn from the best practice in Wales and beyond by:

planning interventions that focus on improving the attainment of pupils from deprived backgrounds, regularly monitoring pupils’ progress and evaluating the impact of the intervention.

integrating plans for the effective use of the PDG into the School Development Plan, basing our practice on sound evidence and including them as part of a whole school strategy.

balancing whole school strategies with targeted interventions to ensure that all learners entitled to free school meals benefit as individuals, whilst the whole school also develops its ability to support every learner to achieve their full potential.

In 2017-18 Ysgol Aberconwy were allocated a total Pupil Deprivation Grant of £118,450

Ysgol Aberconwy has a comprehensive plan, agreed and monitored by GwE and Conwy Local Authority, to promote high expectations attainment and progress and to remove barriers to learning for pupils entitled to this funding.

We have used the funding available to:

Providing targeted support to improve attendance for vulnerable learners.

Developing opportunities for parents and the local community to become more involved in pupil’s learning.

To develop additional learning opportunities at lunch and after school through clubs and workshops.

To provide after school and holiday learning session to support the progress of vulnerable learners.

Provide learning coaches to support identified groups of learners.

Provide additional mentoring to support identified groups of learners.

Provide personalized curriculum opportunities to support identified groups of learners.

Ensure that teaching and learning is of the highest standard for all learners and that all teaching staff are aware of vulnerable pupils and of support available for them.

To support learners with essentials for learning through a deprivation fund.

It is not appropriate for the school to publish a detailed plan as it could identify individual pupils.

Site Management

All school catering is provided by Sodexo, a large specialist international facilities management company, who also provide cleaning and site management of Ysgol Aberconwy. All classrooms are newly refurbished and are kept to a very high standard. Toilet facilities are available throughout the school and are cleaned on an hourly basis.

Pupil Records

The school keeps individual records for all pupils throughout their time with us. They include such items as personal and medical details, formal reports and test results, and any other information that the school regards as significant for the welfare and progress of the pupil. Pupil records aim to assist reliable communication between home and school and the school provides for open access to individual pupil records by the parents of pupils below 18 years of age. Where changes take place in a pupil’s personal circumstances, of which the school needs to be aware, parents are asked to let us know at the earliest possible opportunity."

Absence

If a pupil is not well enough to attend school, parents should contact the school on the first day of the illness, and send a note with the child when he or she returns to school. The school contacts parents when absence occurs as a precaution against truancy. Parents should not take annual holidays which do not coincide with school holidays and dental or other medical appointments should, where possible, be arranged outside of school hours.

Illness at School

If a pupil becomes ill or has an accident at school the school may:

provide first aid when it is a minor accident

contact parents so that the pupil may go home

contact the hospital directly and ask for the parent to take or meet their child there if it is more serious

The school has a team of staff members who are on duty during school hours, and are the first point of referral for pupils who feel unwell or have been involved in an accident. Where parents cannot be contacted and hospital treatment is necessary, a teacher may give permission acting on the parent’s behalf. Parents are asked to inform the school of any medical or clinical condition which might affect the pupil’s progress.

Loss or Damage

Parents are asked to note that the Authority and the Governing Body do not accept any responsibility for loss of, or damage to, personal property at school. The school advises parents not to allow pupils to bring expensive electronic and mobile phone appliances to school. Any pupils damaging school property will be required to pay for repair or replacement.

Welfare

Applications for free school meals and uniform grants are dealt with by the Education Department, Conwy County Borough Council, telephone 01492 575056. AS A PARENT OR GUARDIAN ARE YOU ENTITLED TO A FREE SCHOOL MEAL FOR YOUR CHILDREN ATTENDING A SCHOOL WITHIN CONWY COUNTY BOROUGH? For more information please click here...

School Uniform Grant

You may be eligible for a grant provided by the Welsh Government to help with the purchase of a school uniform for your child if you are on a low income click here…

Arrangements Made for Pupils with Disabilities

The school is fully accessible for pupils with disabilities and complies fully with all current regulations. The strategic equality plan can be downloaded by clicking this link.

Governors Annual Report

The school's Governors produce an annual report to parents which can be found by clicking here.

Parents' and carers' guide to Secondary school

The Welsh Government have produced a booklet to help explain what your child will be learning in secondary school. The guide can be found by clicking here.

General Security Arrangements

The school is fully secure with controlled access. It has a CCTV system which monitors the movement of pupils, staff and visitors around school. At break, lunchtime, before and after school teams of duty staff supervise pupils. There are members of staff trained in First Aid. All visitors to the school must sign in at reception and are issued with a visitors’ pass for the school. The gates to the bus park close at 3:10pm and re-open once all pupils are on the school buses safely. In order to further ensure the safety of pupils at the end of the day, it would be appreciated if parents/guardians park vehicles in the car parks available, rather than on the road.

Tutor Groups

Each pupil is placed in a mixed-ability tutor group of boys and girls. It is the role of the tutor to get to know the children in his or her care and to be responsible for day-to-day administration such as marking the register, checking uniform and reading daily notices.

Career Education & Guidance

Careers Wales North West is an independent company specialising in careers advice, information and guidance. It works with all pupils in Ysgol Aberconwy. A Careers Wales North West Careers Adviser visits the school regularly to give careers guidance to young people individually and as groups, as well as attending meetings for parents in the school to discuss 14+ and 16+ choices. Some of year 10 and 12 pupils undertake work experience in local companies. During their time at school pupils will be offered a variety of opportunities to explore the world of work through WBQ, PSHE and curriculum areas. CAREERS WALES NORTH WEST The Careers Centre 25, Chapel Street Llandudno, LL30 2SY Telephone: 01492 871900

Personal, Social and Health Education

We believe that personal and social education is central to the overall development of each pupil, and many aspects of school life contribute to this end. Each pupil undertakes a Personal Social Health Educational programme. The programme includes careers education, development of research and study skills, sex education and health education. The school’s policy for sex education is available from the school. We have a school nurse available once a week to see pupils on a confidential basis.

Sport Aims

We want Physical Education at Ysgol Aberconwy to be an enjoyable, caring, ordered and respectful experience where everyone is supported to reach their full potential. We strive to develop positive attitudes towards wellbeing and try to encourage lifelong involvement in physical, outdoor and sporting activities. Our aim is to provide meaningful PE experiences that interest, excite and motivate all our pupils. We want everyone to experience success, develop the ‘whole’ person and provide motivation for positive lifelong attitudes towards health and well-being. We acknowledge the powerful influence sport and physical activity can have on young people and appreciate the significant role that PE staff members play in promoting these key values. Every child matters and every child has the right to enjoy and participate in high quality physical education and school sport, regardless of their age, ability, gender and background.

R.E. & The Collective Act of Worship

We have a planned programme of collective worship, via assemblies. It is our intention to foster high moral and ethical standards, encouraging pupils to reflect on issues and to demonstrate a caring approach to them. When there is no assembly each form has a 'Thought of the day' for consideration. The school has no religious affiliation and religious education is provided in accordance with the Agreed Syllabus. If a parent should object on grounds of conscience to a pupil receiving religious instruction or attending assembly, alternative arrangements can be made. If a parent wishes to withdraw their child from religious education or assemblies, they should write to the Headteacher.

Charges for School Activities

The Governing Body has adopted a policy of charging pupils for:

board and lodging costs on educational visits

activities outside school hours

instrumental music tuition

external examinations for which the school has not prepared the pupil during that school year

examinations when the pupil fails to complete the coursework requirements or fails to attend the examination without a proper reason

intentional or negligent damage to school property or for the loss of school property

when a pupil/parent requests a re-sit in one or more subjects

A variety of trips are arranged to enrich the school experience of pupils. Whereas no child will be excluded from such trips as a result of an inability to pay, it is important that the expenses of each trip are met if the activity is to take place.

Complaints Procedure

The school’s Governing Body has established a procedure to consider complaints concerning the way that the school’s Governing Body and the Education Authority act in relation to the curriculum and other related matters. This procedure is outlined in a document in Welsh and English which is available at the school. In the first instance, if you have any complaints or problems, which relate to the running of the school, please do not hesitate to contact the Headteacher.

Further Information

The following publications are also available from the school:

Options booklets

The Sixth Form prospectus

Estyn report 2012

Governors’ Annual Report to Parents

Together with the Prospectus Handbook the school and Governing Body fulfil their responsibilities under the Education Acts to provide information for parents. In addition, the Education Act also gives parents right of access to the following information upon further request:

The Local Education Authority’s Statement of Curriculum Policy

Administrative memoranda and circulars sent to the school by the Welsh Office

Reports of Estyn

Schemes of Work and Syllabuses currently in use, including National Curriculum Statutory Orders

Copies of the arrangements for the consideration of complaints about the school curriculum issued by the Authority

The Local Education Authority’s Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.

Pupil Behaviour and Discipline

The school's Pupil Behaviour and Discipline Policy can be downloaded by clicking here.

Anti -Bullying Policy

The following publications are also available from the school:

Our Anti - Bullying Policy can be requested by contacting Ms L Jones on 01492 593243 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or can be downloaded by clicking here.